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“You mean, when you kissed me?”

“Yeah, that too. But I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. I guess the kiss threw me, and I didn’t know what to do about it. I mean, I haven’t had to deal with those kinds of feelings…” He stopped and put his head down. “I haven’t so much as kissed a woman since my wife passed. And then you come back to town. You’re not even here a week, after years of separation and…” he said, shrugging, his eyes filled with turmoil. “It kinda got to me, you know?”

“I get it. We have history.”

“Yeah, we do,” he said softly.

“It was a long time ago.”

“It was, and we’re grown-ups now.”

“Thatisthe rumor,” she said.

He shot her a smile and sighed. “It’s just that…”

“You feel guilty.”

Self-imposed blame reached his eyes, the grief he still felt for his wife. He must’ve loved her a lot. Since leaving Last Stand, she’d never experienced anything close to that sort of love. She had no one to blame but herself for the lack of romance in her life. She had a vision and a promise to keep, which meant staying focused and not letting anyone in. She’d pushed men away, nice men who’d offered her a relationship. But she’d never wanted that. Her ambition was sharp, focused on building her career and building great walls around her heart. Still, Coop had found someone, he’d found love again, and he had a wonderful daughter to show for it.

Taylor didn’t even have a job.

Coop’s head tilted to the left as he explained further. “It’s Cassie too. I have to watch out for her.”

Taylor put her hand on his arm. He was solid there, from years of physical labor. He was solid all the way around, a good, decent man who’d been dealt a bad hand and was struggling to make the best of it. “Always, that’s a given, Coop. You’re a wonderful father.”

“Sometimes I wonder.”

“No need to wonder. Anyone who sees the two of you together can see your bond.”

“Thanks. She’s a special kid.”

“She is.”

They began walking again, taking the direction leading to a giant oak tree off the shoulder of the road. A wooden rope swing hung from one thick branch. “Hey, would you look at that? The swing’s still up. I can’t believe it,” she said. “How many times did we race to see who’d get to swing first?”

“Dozens.”

“Yeah, you used to beat me all of the time. Until I got older, and then I’d outrace you.”

Coop threw his head back and laughed. “Okay, if you say so.”

“What? I did beat you, Ryan Cooper! Are you saying I didn’t?”

His brows rose skeptically. “I’m not saying a word.”

Taylor sucked in a breath. “You’re not implying you let me beat you, are you?”

“Maybe, only one way to find out.”

She pointed at his chest. “You wanna race now?”

“I’ll give you a head start.”

“For goodness’ sake, we’re living in the twenty-first century. I don’t need a head start.”

“Have it your way.”

“On your mark, get set, go!” Taylor took off in a rush, leaving Coop a bit stunned. She was a New Yorker where she seized the moment. She didn’t hesitate. She had to be on her toes to keep pace with fast city living.